A three-day meeting sponsored by the IOM office in Uruguay is
bringing together officials from six countries in the region to
discuss ways to increase cooperation to fight human trafficking and
child pornography.

The main topics to be discussed at the meeting, underway in
Montevideo, are creating research networks at the national and
regional levels, and strengthening institutional capacities of
organizations involved in fighting human trafficking and providing
assistance to the victims.

The participants also will focus on the use of the Internet as a
global instrument used by trafficking networks for human
trafficking and to spread child pornography.

The Punto Sur project will create a web forum for dialogue and
learning.  The participants from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil,
Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay will be able to share best practices
and vital information to counter human trafficking.

The project will also conduct research in the Maldonado region
of Uruguay and other areas considered at high risk for human
trafficking.

The IOM office in Montevideo is coordinating all Punto Sur
activities which are supported by the US Department of State.

For more information contact:

Susana Leonardi

IOM Montevideo

Tel: +59.82.916.804

E-mail: "mailto:sleonardi@iom.int">sleonardi@iom.int